The Day, "The Five Dollars,'' Came to Irvine

What is the Five Dollar Vacation? Let me explain...

The Five Dollar Vacation is a worldwide charity project, with the aim to send five US dollar bills to as many destinations across the globe as possible, raising cash for a wide variety of charities as they go. These dollar bills have been all over Europe including Spain, Germany and France. More recently, they arrived home from China and very soon they will be on their way to Romania.

At the helm of this project is my good friend, Worldwide Food and Drink Channel Steward on Helium.com, Gordon Hamilton, who in March this year was asked by an American friend on Squidoo to become the first recipient of a journal and T-shirt that she was attempting to send round the world in aid of charity. He was to sign the t-shirt and put an entry into the journal then send it on to another Squidoo user elsewhere in the world.

However, inside the package sent to Gordon, were five, one dollar bills to help with the postage and packaging on the next leg of their journey. As he had agreed to do this in the name of charity, he didn't expect help with the cost of posting the items on and pondered for quite some time on what to do with the dollars. Then the idea came to create a sister project to the one in the US, and so the vacation began! If you would like to know more about the incredible journey of the five dollars or would like to donate a little something to a worthwhile charity, please click on the link below.

The Five Dollar Vacation

I managed to catch up with Gordon on Monday whilst he was in Irvine on business. This was his first visit to the town and I very quickly became his tour guide, pointing out places of interest and giving him an insight into what life is like here. To my delight he had the now famous five dollars on him and we decided to take them to the oldest pub in the town, The Ship Inn, where the staff were more than happy to assist Gordon and the five dollars on their charitable venture.

Asking Gordon what he thought about his time in Irvine, he said, "When I was first invited to Irvine on the West Coast of my native Scotland to explore several different business opportunities and offer my assistance in others in the course of a few short days, my first realisation was that it must be the only major town on the entire West Coast that I had never previously visited! As a one-time keen sea angler, I had fished almost every town on the West Coast between Oban and Stranraer but never so much as been to Irvine.

"It was my pleasure to take up the invitation at the earliest juncture and to offer the services which I provide and the advice which was required. I loved every minute of my visit to Irvine and although this visit was my first, it most certainly will not be my last.

"The timing of my visit was also fortuitous in that I had in my possession five US Dollar Bills, which are presently the principal participants in a Worldwide Charity Project which I am running in conjunction with a colleague in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. The Five Dollars were fortunate enough to visit The Ship Inn - the oldest pub in Irvine - and I am grateful to Beverley Campbell, Sarah Gilmore and Katie Walker for agreeing to participate in a photoshoot, introducing The Five Dollars to not only The Ship Inn but to the town of Irvine. I am also incredibly grateful to Tracy Mason for her superb hospitality and tour of Irvine during my stay.

"I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all whom I encountered in Irvine during my visit and hope to see all of them again soon."

Romania is the next destination for the Five Dollars and their vacation comes to an end on December 31st.